Zoos have been starved of visitors, income and optimism for much of 2020 but two new arrivals have brought some much-needed cheer to a wildlife park in the UK.

Two eastern pygmy marmoset monkeys have been born at Chester Zoo. The twins weigh just 10 grams and are only 5 centimeters in length, meaning it will be some time before their genders are known.

The monkeys are the offspring of parents Zoe and Baldrick and will now grow up thousands of miles away from the rainforests of South America, where they are normally found. 

Pygmy monkeys were brought to the zoo following concerns they could be made extinct, with their habitat threatened by the continued devastation of rainforests on the continent.

They are also often captured by hunters and sold into the pet trade across South America, where they can fetch large sums of money. 

The marmoset is one of the smallest primate species and their tails are longer than their bodies.

In the years to come, the twins are expected to grow to around 20 centimeters long and 130 grams. Watch our video to see how the twins are adapting to life at the zoo.